Lilo & Stitch

Washed Away

I rushed through the crowd, my breath wheezing through my dry throat. There were too many tents, too many places to look for them. I had to find them, I had to find where my friends were.

The officer had said they'd be with Shoupe, that Shoupe needed to see all of us.

John B and Sarah, they've gotta be back by now. They have to.

But then I finally found the right tent, shoving my sopping wet hair from my face. I couldn't remember where my jacket was, long ago discarded in the mayhem despite the downpour. I made eye contact with Shoupe, but I didn't even need to see the sad look he gave me to know what had happened. The sight before me told me enough.

Kie was sobbing, leaving her parents' arms to fall into Pope's, and even he was breaking down. JJ was pinned between Heyward and Pope's mother, and I surged forward. When he caught sight of me, Heyward patted JJ's back and he lifted up, turning around to face me.

JJ was barely holding it together. His lip was quivering, his eyes lost. Pope and Kie had their families here, but him? He was suffering on his own, and clearly suffering a lot. I prayed to whatever God was out there that this was a big misunderstanding, that our friends were okay, that maybe I could wake up from this nightmare.

But JJ sank into my open arms like he wasn't sure he could stand, and I could feel him shaking against me. And just like that my instincts kicked in, and I was here for JJ and JJ only.

"They're- They're gone," he choked out, barely above a whisper and hard to hear in the storm. "They lost them."

I squeezed him against me, a sob I didn't know I was holding ripping its way out of my throat into his shoulder. JJ held me like he was afraid he'd lose me too if he let go, almost leaving me breathless with how strong his grip was. I didn't even care, it hurt too much on the inside to be bothered by the outside.

Gentle arms wrapped around us both, and we looked up with red eyes to see Kie and Pope enveloping us. I lifted an arm from JJ's back to loop around Kie's waist, leaning into Pope's arm at my shoulder. JJ was forcing his breaths steady now, holding back a panic attack with every shred of willpower he had left. Pope traced a hand on his back, trying in vain to soothe him. Nothing would work, nothing could work this time. This was too much for any of us to handle.

Before long though, we had to split apart. JJ buried his face in my neck, hiding from everything around us to calm himself down even a little. Kie squeezed one of my hands and gave me a look that said to check in tomorrow, then kissed JJ's head and left with her family. When Heyward and his wife approached us, Pope leaned into his mother for support, and Heyward gave JJ and I a hug. JJ still didn't move. And then they all pulled away, Heyward cast a long, sad look at JJ like he wanted to help, but settled on giving me a glance and a nod instead. He knew we'd be okay, so long as we had each other.

We were the last ones left. There were officers still scuttling around us in their Hi-Vis rain gear, trying to dismantle the post. The pain in my chest was becoming unbearable, especially as I realized how warm my soaked shirt was becoming under JJ's head. His torso still shook, blonde hair starting to stick around his head from rain and sweat. I pressed my face into his hair, trying to drink in the smell of him to calm my nerves. I didn't even know what to do, what to think, where to go right now.

After a few minutes of my eyes squeezed shut, whispering reassurances I couldn't even remember in JJ's ear, I peered up to see Shoupe watching us from a few yards away. My vision was blurry and my head and chest hurt so bad he could've been Jesus or a unicorn for all I knew. But it was definitely Shoupe, coming slowly closer with a look of sympathy on his face.

"Anybody coming to get you two?" the sheriff asked, not sounding pushy, more just concerned. I shrugged a little, shaking my head. JJ had tensed at the sound of Shoupe's voice, standing up straighter so he could aim his bloodshot gaze at the officer. He kept his arms tightly locked around me, but I could feel the muscles weakening. He didn't have much left in him tonight.